The Michigan Wolverines lost their third game over their last four outings, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers 13-6 in overtime. The Michigan defense kept the contest close, holding the defending champions to just six points in regulation. However, the combination of freshman mistakes by quarterback Tommy Carr in his first collegiate start and untimely misses by kicker Trey Butkowski ultimately sank the Wolverines.

Now sitting at 4-3, Michigan's hopes of resurrecting its season seem all but crushed. However, another wild Saturday across college football has kept the door open, if only slightly. With that in mind, let's dive into the Big Ten contests that had a significant development from Michigan's perspective.

Illinois 21, Oregon 10

For as disappointed as the Wolverines feel about their season, the Oregon Ducks arguably should feel worse about their 2026. The Ducks entered Saturday's matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini as heavy favorites. While Dante Moore remains sidelined as he recovers from a serious concussion, Illinois' starting signal-caller, Katin Houser, also sat out the contest with a hand injury.

Despite the apparent talent advantage, Oregon couldn't keep itself on the tracks after the opening drive. In the second quarter, running back Aidan Laughery broke off a 75-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to three points. The Illini defense then put on the clamps, allowing the Ducks to enter field-goal range or better just twice from that point. Illinois then put the game out of reach when wideout Collin Dixon made one of the catches of the year.

What matters for Michigan: The Wolverines still have to face the Ducks later this year, with the two teams set to meet in Eugene on Nov. 14. The makeup of that game will depend greatly on the availability of the aforementioned Moore, who has not played since suffering a concussion a month earlier. It remains entirely unclear whether Moore will play again this season. If he doesn't, Michigan's defense should have little trouble containing Dylan Raiola or Brock Thomas.

UCLA 28, Michigan State 10

On the other end of the spectrum, the UCLA Bruins continued their remarkable first season under head coach Bob Chesney. Even without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, their offense kept rolling behind the ground attack of Anthony Woods and Wayne Knight. The two combined for 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Michigan State Spartans. Meanwhile, replacement signal-caller Ty Dieffenbach made enough plays to keep the offense balanced, including a 63-yard touchdown to wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr.

The group of undefeated teams shrank significantly this weekend, though UCLA remains the Big Ten's only program with an unblemished record on the season.

What matters for Michigan: It seemed like the Wolverines might have caught a break when the Bruins lost Iamaleava for the season. While the drop-off from the former five-star recruit to Dieffenbach looks considerable, the latter played winning football and avoided major mistakes during Saturday's win. Accordingly, Michigan's upcoming matchup with UCLA still seems like a major challenge.